This article forms part of the Decorative and Applied Arts Encyclopedia, a master reference hub providing a structured overview of design history, materials, movements, and practitioners.
Op art is a modern style that emerged in the 1960s, mainly in painting and graphics. It uses optical effects like moire patterns, optical illusions, and colour effects created by complementary colours. Op art has similarities with other modern art movements like minimalism, geometric abstraction, and colour-field painting.
Richard Anuszkiewicz, Bridget Riley, and Victor Vasarely were notable leaders in the op-art movement during the 1960s. The term “op” was suggested to distinguish this style from POP art, which was seen as a competitor. More likely, “op art” is a shortened version of “optical art”. It refers to art forms, like paintings and sculptures, that use visual illusions and effects to play with the viewer’s perception. The term was coined by an anonymous writer in Time magazine on October 23rd, 1964, and has since become popularly used to describe two-dimensional art pieces with a substantial psychological impact.
Op art significantly influenced graphic and interior design, as its abstract visual effects were quickly incorporated into advertisements and large, colourful wall paintings known as “SUPERGRAPHICS.” Despite its continuing presence in modern art, interest in op art has diminished since its heyday, making it seem like a historical event.
Sources
Pile, J. (1994). Dictionary of 20th-Century Design. Da Capo Press, Incorporated. https://doi.org/10.1604/9780306805691
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